When ignoring work calls on the road could save your life

Marion County Sheriff Sgt. Todd Moquin looks for distracted drivers and talks about the new distracted driving law enacted in October.

Statesman Journal file

City, county and state law-enforcement campaigns have been trying to spread the message that distracted driving is dangerous driving since at least 2009, when Oregon's first cellphone-while-driving ban went into effect.

But all these efforts may have been overlooking one segment of society that needs to be reckoned with: bosses.

Employers are being asked to remind employees driving for work that they should not break the law ...more

Employers are being asked to remind employees driving for work that they should not break the law and talk or text on their cellphones when behind the wheel.

Statesman Journal file

How many times have you heard someone say they don't drive and talk on the phone "except if it's my boss?"

This is a personal choice, of course, but when a livelihood is perceived to hang in the balance, it's one too many to give in to even if they wouldn't otherwise.

SAIF, the state-chartered workers' compensation insurance company, this week released new information about the impact motor vehicle crashes have on Oregon workers.

The nonprofit only tracks workers' compensation claims, so these numbers are limited to people driving as part of their work duties or who were struck by a vehicle while on the job.

The statistics paint an alarming picture.

Since 2008, nearly 100 workers have died on the job in Oregon resulting from a motor vehicle crash or rollover, or from being hit. A spokeswoman for SAIF, Lauren Casler, said it can't say how many were caused by distracted drivers.

At the same time, the company has received claims for nearly 11,000 injuries from motor vehicles, almost two-thirds involving a crash with another vehicle.

These numbers, despite not being directly attributed to distracted driving, should scare everyone into turning off their phone and keeping focused on the road.

To end this occupational caste system that endangers drivers, SAIF is encouraging managers to put safe-driving policies into practice in their workplaces. These policies should be reinforced with conversations that leave no room for doubt.

Something along the lines of "yes, you report to me, but not while you're driving" would work well.

All employers should follow SAIF's suggestion to put written policies about distracted driving in place. It's no longer enough to assume employees will save their own lives by ignoring an employer's call.

Bosses should tell their employees what they expect, and it should be clear the nuanced, drop-everything attitude doesn't fly in the digital age.

We don't expect any employer to tolerate employees failing to respond to work calls or emails within a reasonable time. In many instances, employers have no way of knowing if their employee is driving when they dial or text.

But employers should give their staffs written and verbal information that empowers them to pay attention to their driving and make safe decisions first. Allow them the time to pull off the road and park before responding.